What is the current state of your house since Christmas?

[CringleXmas]

Mine is still an absolute mess!

I've just gone downstairs and now it's the 28th I feel I need to do something about it.

The dc have toys and clothes scattered everywhere, chocolate wrappers on the floor and glitter everywhere ( don't know where from ). I've just accidentally kicked a die under the sofa which I'll have to get as I know ds will want it later. There are loads of them mini brands lying around just waiting to be stood on.

There seems to be every cup/ glass we own out on the side that needs washing. About 10 loads of laundry to do.

The funny thing is me and dp have been non stop the past few days cooking and cleaning but for some reason it looks like someone has come in, shook our house around and left us the results.

If a visitor turned up this morning, I would have to refuse them entry ( for their own safety).

How is everyone else's houses looking? Please tell me I'm not the only one still falling over stuff left lying around.

Scented candles and boxes of chocolates all over the place. No kids at home now so no toys around, but there is a scattering of other random grown-up presents still littering the living room floor.

The fridge had a declutter this morning - that was a chore and a half!

I've only got myself to blame but my home is dustier than usual and in a fit of conscience I've actually gone round to clean and tidy things up a bit as I was due a visitor. I don't want them gossiping to the rest of the family that I'm a thoroughly filthy slattern. Now they've re-arranged to tomorrow so it gives me extra time to get the job done properly so that's a bonus.

In my own head I know I really must do better on a regular basis and this will be my new year resolution. I bet my house is worse than yours OP so don't beat yourself up about it.

Great tips here, thank you.

I did a major clean and tidy midweek last week and I've been trying to maintain that since. Far from perfect but good enough.

The kitchen / diner, bathroom and downstairs loo were cleaned every night. Quick whizz with the vacuum cleaner in lounge once a day to clear up crumbs from.snacks, first from shoes, and pine needles.

Lounge was cluttered with presents and visitors' stuff - books, phones, jumpers etc. until this morning when visiting family left. DP took DS out for a bike ride and I spent an hour or so clearing up the house. I get a sense of satisfaction from.the clear up if I'm in the right mood. Otherwise, despair!

Mine is back to pre Christmas. No visitors today so have taken the tree down and blitzed downstairs. Small basket of ironing to do but that's a job I save for Sunday morning when dd will have brought dgs's uniforms to be done as well. Tend to do little and often even when there is a houseful anyway so it hasn't been that bad despite dgs and all of his toys strewn about.

We've just removed any sign of Christmas from the lounge and had a quick dust, no feels good again.

Tree is up in the dining room still, but that will be going back in the box on New Years Eve, so the house is fresh for the new year.

Also need the house sorted, as youngest is in for surgery on the 3rd and I need to take the eldest back to Uni on the 6th.

Ours is pretty good but didn't have guests over and older children. We did a clean / declutter pre Christmas which helped.

Much tidier and cleaner than it is the rest of the year!

We were at family for dinner Christmas Day, then have hosted different groups of family and friends every day since Boxing Day (including today) so have done a clean each morning.

Looking forward to a rest tomorrow.

Mine is messy as dgd is here with dd and she's not too well.

Mine is tidy-ish but not very clean. Still have people here til tomorrow and I'll clean after the have gone, before we go away ourselves for new years.

Visitors left yesterday, so tree and decorations are down, had a good declutter, and cleaned everywhere. Bin day today so all rubbish has gone.Washing all up to date, so glad the house is back to normal after the chaos of Christmas. Love to start the New Year with a clean,and tidy house.

I spent a good while yesterday getting things back in order.

I managed 3 laundry loads. It was really windy in the morning so the washing line dried fairly quickly.

All washing up sorted. The tip about putting cups/ glasses on a tea towel and not on the drainer was a good one, thank you.
Kitchen sides sorted and wiped down.

All mini toys were put in a tub, all board game pieces but back where they belong. I got dc to sort these.
The toys are now in dc bedroom. They are not packed away yet as I like them to be able to see and play with them easily for a while.

I dusted and vacuumed. It feels so much better.

Whilst we will keep the decorations up until New Year's Day, I can't wait to get the living room completely back to normal.

Mine is a riot from top to bottom.
I need to do a serious declutter but that's not going to happen between now and 2024.
But I NEED the place cleaned for the bells 🔔 bad luck to take last years dirt into the New Year.

So game plan for today is to tackle upstairs. I'm thinking DH and I at it together we should be able to tidy dust and hoover the bedrooms in a couple of hours.

Tomorrow do downstairs. With the same approach. So I don't end up spending all of the 31st running around hoovering and dusting.

Back to normal. Tree is down as are the other decorations and they are back in the attic. Beds changed, clean towels (still to clean the bathroom), lounge all dusted down and cleaned, floors done and kitchen done. Looks bare and feels echoey but clean and tidy.